You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

"Health Advisor" rant

My boys Ped office has a "Health Advisor" that you can talk to for any questions that don't necessarily need a doctor for.

Well Lucas is hungry 24/7 He will nurse for 30 mins on each side and then be hungry again in 20 minutes. Then today only he will throw up everything he just ate and scream again to eat. I can't keep up with the milk demand to feed that often. I don't want to feed him that often either because he is vomiting it back up and I know its a waist of milk because he is not really hungry but has an upset tummy and wants to sooth suck. I have been trying to give him the binky but he is very animate about that NOT being what he wants.

So I called the Health advisor to see if there was something I could do. He is acting like my 5 year old did when he had GERD so I thought maybe Pump and add a little rice cereal to the expressed milk like we had to do with DS1. When I even suggested it to her she went crazy! She suggested formula I said "I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE HIM FORMULA! HE DOESN'T NEED IT! HE IS VOMITING BECAUSE HIS TUMMY IS UPSET AND TOO SMALL FOR WHAT HE IS DRINKING!!! WHY ON G*D'S GREEN EARTH WOULD I GIVE HIM MORE TO DRINK WHEN I HAVE AMPLE MILK????"

Then she tells me to calm down and she suggests I not eat any foods at all until he settles?????? I have to provide milk, I can't go on a hunger strike! I can understand cutting "problem foods" such as dairy, spicy, caffeine etc but not STOP EATING!!!

Let me back up a second. There are 2 offices. The one we go to the Health Advisor was out sick so they transferred me to the other office's health advisor. Thank goodness she is not our regular but I feel something needs to be said for the advise she is giving the parents at the other office!

Am I being unreasonable? Did I over react? Don't get me wrong I think formula is a wonderful thing for those who NEED IT but its absurd to give it to my child if we don't need it. And for the reasons stated above feeding him more is a never ending cycle of feed and spew!

Do you ladies have any GOOD advise on what we should do? Is there something I am doing wrong? Thanks in advance. You ladies are awsome!!!

Re: "Health Advisor" rant

I wonder what education this "health advisor" has regarding breastfeeding ? I would look into that, and make a suggestion that she gets some breastfeeding education before offering wrong advice, especially when so many mothers will turn to her. My sister is currently on the elimination diet because of food sensitivities. He was tested for food allergies, and they came up negative, however, babies can have a temporary sensitivity to things like dairy, soy, wheat, etc. Formula is milk based, and I have no idea why she would recommend that, especially when you are making ample milk?

Re: "Health Advisor" rant

are others in your family sick?
sometimes you never do figure out why the are throwing up, or strangly only one family member will have it.
Anyways at least you had your bad advice meter running.
It sounds like that nurse has had little to no breastfeeding training.
maybe this link will help

Re: "Health Advisor" rant

did you try burping or having him suck on your finger, and not the plastic nuk... I used gripe water for a few weeks to get dd settled... i'm not too much help but i'll send some sometimes, like last night, dd will just scream and i just walk, talk , bounce, anything and she eventually falls asleep and wakes up happy... not sure if that will help or not.

Re: "Health Advisor" rant

Well after thinking long and hard about it I think its the additives in HAM! This same thing happened to me durring thanksgiving and Christmas after eating Ham with pregnant! (At the time we didnt pinpoint the ham just something in general that was eaten those days) My OB said its possible I am not allergic since I never was before but the baby is. Well, since he is born I ate it on Easter Sunday and not thinking it is in the milk I think thats what is bothering him! Well thats the only thing that is consistant is the ham. My grandmother and cousin are allergic to the aditives in the pre-cooked Ham.

When I was pregnant I got the burning eyes, gassy, acid reflux, upset tummy, etc. Now Im not having any of these symptoms but he is!! I have a ton of left overs so I am going to stay off it a few days until things clear up then try a little bit and see if it happeneds again. If so we will know that Ham is the reason!

Re: "Health Advisor" rant

My LO threw up twice every night from overeating for three months straight. She would frantically want to nurse for four hours between 7-11pm. It helped me to cut out dairy. She didn't throw up for three weeks, and then one day I had two tall glasses of milk, and she threw up her entire feed that evening so I know that the dairy had something to do with it. Hang in there! I know what you are going through.

Re: "Health Advisor" rant

Am I being unreasonable? Did I over react? Don't get me wrong I think formula is a wonderful thing for those who NEED IT but its absurd to give it to my child if we don't need it.

I don't think you're being unreasonable. I maybe would have put it to her a little more gently, but I think the sentiment was dead on! I dunno, I'd maybe write a carefully-worded (not angry, but civli and to the point) letter to them...or maybe something that looks more like a research paper (I need to write one and keep it on hand, I think). Make sure to cite lots of trustworthy sources (Dr. Newman's site and other materials are great for that sort of thing, and there are plenty of things to be found around the La Leche League's websites). I dunno, maybe I'm nuts, but that's what I'd do.